Rdio Gets A Native Mac App

By Cody Fink

Rdio for Mac

If you wanted to use Rdio without the Adobe Air component (which I thought was pretty good), there is now an official Rdio player built for the OS X desktop. The custom Rdio interface takes on a life of its own by disobeying Aqua’s color scheme for the dark blue seen in Rdio’s online playback controls, and we’d be dipped if it didn’t look a little like iTunes. Similar to something like Songbird, Rdio enables users to browse the site through the music interface, and can scan your music collection just like the Air app did. If you can purchase individual songs, they’ll be added to your iTunes library.

Rdio isn’t available in the Mac App Store - the download is only available to Rdio subscribers through www.rdio.com. You can sign up for a free trial, then navigate to the Rdio for Mac page for a free download.

[via The Next Web, Read Write Web]

CalendarBar Tucks Event Reminders In Your Menubar

By Cody Fink

Clean Cut Code is known for making beautiful apps like Cloud Calendar, and it was only a matter of time before they brought some of their talent to the OS X desktop. CalendarBar takes on the inefficiencies of a traditional calendar client by providing a quick list of events in a beautiful timeline that can grab events from iCal, Google Calendar, and Facebook. Clicking on an event takes you to the event listing in its parent application – CalendarBar removes the distraction of busy calendar utilities, but provides shortcuts so you can add entries and gather additional information. The app features a some iOS overtones in its design, most obviously via the settings and exit button that adorn the bottom of the pop-up panel. Launching yesterday, the app is only $1.99 in the Mac App Store.

iPad 2 Roundup

By Cody Fink

What a day! Apple has not only exceeded our expectations for an iPad 2, but has introduced a whole slew of new apps that bring iLife to the touchscreen. Are we completely blown away? Shocked? I think all of us are going to have a hard time coming off of this one, at least until we get the iPad 2 (in black or white) in our own hands. If you’re looking for the summary of all things iPad 2, you’ll find it right here.

Duplifinder Gets Update, Highlights Duplicates & Better iPhoto Deletion

By Cody Fink

Duplifinder is growing up fast! We checked out the iPhoto duplicate remover last week, and the developer has already launched a big update. Not only are duplicates now highlighted with the grew squares you see above, but you can double click a photo to immediately reveal it in iPhoto, and pressing the delete key will now delete those duplicates from iPhoto effortlessly. As you can see, our product review pictures get duplicated quite a bit between camera imports, and it’s become an essential tool to help clean out my Mac after an afternoon of product shoots. Ready to jump on board with Duplifinder 2? Download it here!

SyncMate 3 Syncs Androids To Mac Over WiFi, Bluetooth, & USB

By Cody Fink

Why are we talking about Androids? Let’s just say our little green friends need some love too, and there’s nothing like a quick trip down syncing lane to remind us that manually inserting tunes onto your SDCard is definitely a lot more painful than iTunes. Without bloated music software, how can you manage your Droid or Nexus One? Eltima Software has the answer with their launch of SyncMate 3, which is a well rounded information manager I reviewed not too long ago. If you sport the latest in Google technology, SyncMate’s latest update can mount your Android phone wirelessly or by cable, and sync contact information like music, images, and video straight to the device.

One of my complaints was SyncMate was its interface, but the latest rendition is much improved to fit our sometimes picky standards. Plus, I quite like having a portrait of Andy giving me a quick link to my Motorola Droid when it’s time to load a podcast or two. If you’re still syncing with those Windows PCs, SyncMate also gives you more control over which accounts you want to pull information from.

If you have Android phone and use a Mac (don’t forget SyncMate is on the PC too), you’ll want to check out the latest update at Eltima Software. SyncMate Expert includes all the features described above (including the ability to manage SMS which is neat), and costs only $39.95 for a personal license (good for two Macs).

Wunderlist HD For iPad Goes Live

By Cody Fink

Last night, Wunderlist HD launched on the iTunes App Store with thunderous applause (I figured that fit the theme for this morning). And I’m not exaggerating: the Wunderlist HD update was well received on the local Twitter channels, and team deserves a fine pat on the back for bringing their desktop task-manager into the frame of the iPad.

You’ll notice that Wunderlist HD keeps its charm in this latest iteration, despite the disorienting placement of the sidebar on the right-hand side (on the desktop it’s on the left). Connecting to your Wunderlist account, Wunderlist HD delivers all the same collaboration features and still free note syncing that makes the service so valuable to many. Using the filter controls at the bottom of the sidebar, you can view all of your tasks, starred tasks, tasks due now, overdue tasks, and you can bring up other filters that allow you to prioritize for the future. Lists can be created with a tap of the add button at the top, and as always you have your choice of beautiful backgrounds.

Download it free right now from the iTunes App Store.

Nokia Borrows iMovie Loop For Microsoft Partnership Announcement

By Cody Fink

If Nokia’s recent announcement to partner with Microsoft wasn’t enough to stir up the #fail hashtags on Twitter, leave it to the Apple geeks to point out that Nokia is using their biggest competitor’s theme in their recent announcement. While Apple’s audio loops are royalty free, it’s still amusing to see a competitor using the Macbook theme (Pendulum) in their Microsoft get-together. Check out what Adrian Boioglu from Boio.ro has dug up after the break.

New Intel Sandy Bridge CPUs To Start Shipping February 20th

By Cody Fink

The most probable next generation processor for MacBooks will start shipping on February 20th. The new Intel core i5 and i7 processors, based on the Sandy Bridge architecture shown off at CES, comes in flavors ranging from 1.4 GHz to 2.7 GHz, drawing 17 watts to 35 watts respectively under load. The new processors could be used to update Apple’s MacBook, 13” MacBook Pro, and 15” MacBook Pro line, while quad-core Sandy Bridge CPUs would populate Apple’s higher end MacBooks and desktops. Apple’s MacBook and 13” MacBook Pro continue to utilize Core 2 Duo processors, and may receive a Sandy Bridge update later this year.

Why is Sandy Bridge so impressive? Our friends over at The Next Web explain.

[via Macworld]

Skype 5 Out Of Beta, Group Calling Part Of Premium Package

By Cody Fink

Skype 5 is official this morning, delivering an enhanced interface and group video calling, which is part of a paid premium package and available with a seven day trial. Otherwise, expect to pay $4.99 a day or $8.99 a month for access to the bandwidth hogging feature. Video calls are also seeing the return of the much requested full screen mode. Trimming down the interface, Skype has reduced whitespace and tightened visual accessibility, and have plans to launch a contest where Skype users can design the perfect interface for the Mac.

You can download the latest update by visiting the announcement post on Skype.com, or by visiting this direct link.

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